Automatic grain-meter



(No Model.)

J. 0. KING.

' AUTOMATIC GRAIN METER. No. 304 937. Patented Sept. 9, 1884.

6C WITNESSES 1 4' JWVEJVTOR g I Attorney rate.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()rmcn.

JACOB G. KING, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,937, datedSeptember 9, 1884:.

(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that l, Jaoon 0. KING, a citizen of the United States,residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Grain-Meters,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of weighing devices known asgrain-meters, and is designed to receive grain, &c'., and automati=cally measure, by weight, and deliver the same; also, recording theamount that passes through the device. 7

The construction of the device embraces those qualities that make itsimple and accu- The parts being few and systematically arranged, it isnot liable to get out of order, and requires no attention after oncebeing regulated. Being constructed in accordance with the laws ofgravity, it requires no springs or multiplicity of mechanism to producethe required result.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l Y represents a side elevation ofthe device, and

Fig. 2 an elevation of the same.

A represents the base of the device, and is of any desired construction.On this base are raised two standards, B and C, respectively, the one,0, being at or near one end, and the other, B, being placed more or lessdistant from the other, as ,is required.

011 each side of the top of the standard B are secured the fulcrums D,which may have a knife-edge to reduce friction. 011 these fulcrums restthe bearing-pieces E of the lever F, the long end of which is a singlepiece, graduated and carrying the adj ustably-secured sliding weight H.The bearing-pieces E are each recessed at their free end, said recess receiving the fulcrums D. The continuations of the pieces E on each sidethe said recess are rounded, as shown, so as to offer no resistance tothe free working of the lever. They also serve to prevent the leverslipping from the fulcrums when in operation. The eX- trenie end of thelever rests on the standard 0, bearing against the buffer I on the same.The inner end of the long arm is divided and spreads so that thebearing-pieces E, which are secured one to each piece of the dividedlever, may rest on the fulcrnms D, as shown. Each of these said piecesof the lever are continued from the fulcrum-point parallel to eachother, and thus form a double short arm of the lever, as shown.

Projecting inward from the end of each of the pieces forming the shortend of the lever are knife-edged bearings,on which is hung the hopper Gby means of loops K. The hopper is so hung as to be perfectly balanced,and has a downwardly-projecting ventage, L. This ventage is keptnormally closed by means of the lever-valve M, secured to the hopper bymeans of the hinge or fulcrum N, and kept in place by means of thegravity-arm O, which also serves a purpose hereinafter set forth.

P represents an adj ustable frame secured by means of thumb-screws orthe like, which pass through the slotted right-angle extensions P to thestandard B. Passing horizontally through the frame andmear the saidstandard is a rod, It. This frame is for the purpose of limiting thefall of the hopper, and the rod engaging with the arm 0 through it opensthe valve M, as will be readily seen.

Adjnstably secured to one of the pieces E,

which is slotted, is a slotted piece, S, to which is adjustably secureda pawl, T. The pawl engages with and aotuates a ratchetwheel, U, whichoperates an indexhand. The ratchet-wheel and the index are properlyincased and supported on an upright, V, secured to the standard B. Theratchet-wheel is kept in place by means of the spring-arm. WV. One ormore dials may be used to indicate the amount of grain weighed andmeasured.

X represents a chute of ordinary construction provided with a ventage,Y. I

Z'represents a valve adapted to close and open the said ventage Y, andis hinged to the chute at A.

B represents a gravity-arm attached to the valve Z, and has its lowerend bent at right angles, so as to come in contact with one side of theshort lever-arm, as shown. The chute has on it a bracket, 0, into whichis slipped one end of a standard, D, whichjs adapted to support the saidchute, and has its lower end adapted to be secured in a bracket, E,which is secured to the base.

In operating the device the weight is first adjusted so that a certainquantity will here eeived in the hopper before it will be balanced, or,more properly, overbalaneed. The valve Z being normally open, the grainwill. descend the chute into thehopper till the same has re eeivedsullicient to overbalance the weight 11. The said hopper will then beginto descend, and the arm B disengaging with short arm of the lever, thevalve Z will, by gravity, be closed, as is evident, thus shutting oil.the grain. As the long arm of thelcver ascends, the force of gravitybecomes less on the weight, and by means of the bearings E the center ofgravity is so changed in favor of thehopper as to almost balance thesaid weight and the hopper, the weight of the grain being extra andtending to keep the hopper down till the said grain is all discharged.This being aecomplished,the hopper, being slightly overbalaneed by theweight on the long levenarm, returns to its original. position. As thesaid hopper descends, the gravity-arm 0 comes in contact with the red Itand opens the valve, as will be evident, and as the hopper returns, asabove stated, the force of gravity exerted on the said arm closes thevalve. The arm 0 is heavy enough to keep the valve closed while thehopper is filling. The base under the hopper is provided with a suitableopening through which the grain may be conveyed to millstone forgrinding, or into proper recepta- I cles for shipping.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. Theautomatioweighing and d nmping de vice consisting of apivoted hopper swungbetween the ends of a dividedlever, and having an automatic retainingand dumping valve, and the lever to which the hopper is pivoted carryingan adjustable weight, and being provided with extended bearings attachedto the divided portion of the lever, the free ends of the said bearingsbeing slotted and rounded, the several parts being arranged andoperating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A hopper pivoted to the end of a lever and adapted to [all and risein its operation, in combination with an outlet gravity-valve secured tothe hopper, and a frame receiving the said hopper and restricting itsdownward tendency, the said frame having across it a rod for operatingthe valve, and provided with rightangle slotted extensions at its ends,through which pass thumb-screws, securing the said frame :uljustably toa standard.

3. The hopper adapted to receive the grain, the gra\-'ity-valve hingedto the same and normally covering its outlet, and the frame re ceivingthe hopper in its downward move ment, and having a rod or other meansthat will. engage with the valve and cause it to un cover the saidoutlet, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The divided lever having at one end a weight and at the otherpivotally carrying a. hopper, the bearings attached to the lever andresting on suitable fulcrums, the hopper ada ted to be automaticallydumped, the gravityvalve attached thereto, and the adjustable frameadapted to restrict the downward tendency of the hopper, and alsooperate the valve on the same, as and for the purpose specified.

The chute detachably secured to a suitable standard, the automaticallydumping hopper hung on a lever, and the gravity-lever hinged to thechute and formed of a U shaped arm, one end normally covering the ventin the chute and the other-engaging with the lever to open the chute,and acting by its weight to close the same, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

(i. The dividedlever, the slotted bearing on one side of the same, theadjustable piece socured to it, and an adjustable pawl secured to thesaid piece, and adapted to engage with a ratehetwheel operating suitableindices, the parts operating as and for the purpose specilied.

7. The standard bearing the fulcrums, the divided lever, the bearingssecured to the said lever, the automatically-dumping hopper, thegravity-valve secured to the same, the frame secured to the standard andadjustable on it, and adapted to restrict the downward tend ency ot'thehopper, the rod in the frame adapted to operate the gravity-valve,the removablysecuredchute, the gravity-valve secured to the same, thepawl adj uslably secured to a plate which is adj ustabl y secured to oneof the bearings of the lever, and the ratchetwheel secured to an uprightand kept in place by a spring-arm, and adapted to operate in dices, allthe parts operating to automatically receive. weigh or measure, anddeliver grain, as and for the purpose specified.

Intestimony whereof I allix my signature in presence 01' two witnesses.

JACOB U. iKfl'NU.

\Vitnesses:

Units. 1). DAVIS, J'. J. lll'eftxn'rnv.

